Wherever Your Dreams May Take You
by McDreamyluver
Summary: Meredith goes against all odds and becomes a surgeon. Even though no one, not even her mom, thought she could do it. Determined to stick to her plans in life she does not want to ge romantically involved, but what happens when that someone comes along?
1. The Beginning Of A Dream

Meredith and her best friend, Missy are walking down a street in the suburbs of Boston, they are about 14.

Mer: so do you have any plans on what you want to do when you get older? Like a career goal or anything?

Missy: No. I haven't really thought of it, but knowing you Mer, you already have a couple of ideas, ones that will probably result in changing them in the next year or so

Mer: okay, so the professional athlete, and the vet so totally not me...what did I see in a vet anyway?

Missy: I have no idea, but what is it you want to do now?

Mer: I want to be a surgeon

Missy: a surgeon? Why would you want to do that, I mean come on, I bet its only because your mom is one, that and you watch that stupid TV show, newsflash Mer people like that don't exist, its all scripted, no one will come and sweep you off your feet into happy ever after,

Mer: (hurt, but not wanting to show it) I know, and its not a stupid TV show, it's very good and you could learn a lot, plus that's not the reason, I want to be a surgeon because, first I like to be in charge, you of all people know that, I want to be the one doing the cutting, your in charge, and come on you get to save peoples lives. Their lives are in your hands, not the doctor next you, yours. I love that kind of pressure, plus you think I want to be like my mom, never here always at a hospital, I don't even want to get married until I'm out of school, and no kids until I am an attending

Missy: I don't think you can do it; your dream will change in the next month

Mer: no it wont, and at least I have a dream

Missy: yeah but I don't think you could achieve it, you'll give up

Mer: I don't give up (thinking) _so much for being my best friend, now I have to prove you wrong_

Missy: whatever, you wont do it.

Meredith at the age of 14 had decided what she wanted to do and how she was going to get there, and no matter what, no matter what everyone said she was determined to prove them all wrong and achieve her dreams.

Years passed since the last scene and mer is now a senior in high school, just waiting for it to end, so she could get to college to start living her dream, that about four years ago missy had said was unachievable, and that it would change within the next month, no she still had her dream of becoming a surgeon. NO ONE thought she could do it, not even her mom, when she had told her mom, it was "it will be to hard you wont be able to do it. You don't have enough determination." she had about three friends that had said "mer, I know you, you have the determination to prove everyone wrong, and to do this, I see you doing it and I hope you do it, and become one of the best surgeons, just to prove everyone wrong. Mer just wanted to get out of Boston and start her dream, to prove everyone that she could do what she wanted to do.

Meredith had gotten her associates degree in high school, and now had a full-ride on academic to (insert school, sorry cant think of one at the moment) and then she planned on attending Dartmouth in the next four years after she had achieved her masters.

Meredith stood at her high school graduation, she had become valedictorian (sp?) and was giving her speech at graduation

_And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives  
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25  
I keep thinking times will never change  
Keep on thinking things will always be the same  
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back  
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track  
And if you got something that you need to say  
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day  
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down_

mer: (near the end)...everyone, we made it. We survived the four years everyone calls high school. For some, it sucks, others it will be the best time of their lives. Tomorrow, we start into the real world, no matter what you want to believe you no longer get to come back here everyday and expect everything to be there. Some of us leave for college; others will stay and live with their parents until they finally decide that it's time to leave. No matter what road you take, you will never forget the friendships made along the way, you'll talk tonight about what's going to happen tomorrow, but never forget the people that made you who you are.

_These memories are playing like a film without sound  
And I keep thinking of that night in June  
I didn't know much of love  
But it came too soon  
And there was me and you  
And then we got real blue  
Stay at home talking on the telephone  
We'd get so excited, we'd get so scared  
Laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair  
And this is how it feels_

mer looked out into the audience where her mom was supposed to be and saw an empty seat.

Mer: I hope every one of you follows your dream, and achieves it to be the best you can be. For me that is what I plan to do. I hope we get to come back in twenty years and each of us says, I chased my dreams, and I achieved them. I hope we remember the years we spent and the teachers/faculty that spent their time with us to make us the best we could be; they never gave up on us. But no matter what happens to us, we will have the good, the bad, here at Boston High, and that it helped build us to where we are. Go Eagles!!!

_As we go on  
We remember  
All the times we  
Had together  
And as our lives change  
Come Whatever  
We will still be  
Friends Forever_

she threw her hat in the air, as everyone followed suit.

At the end of the speech mer walked of the podium and found her boyfriend of one year with all of her friends. Missy, Shannon, Sarah, Emily, all of their boyfriends, and Michael, Mer's boyfriend

mike: mer, that was awesome, you are amazing (leaning in giving her a kiss)

mer; thanks mike

Shan: yeah, mer, you did awesome! (Giving her a hug)

Sarah: you nailed it; I don't think anyone could have topped that! (Also giving her a hug)

miss: can you believe we're done?

Mer: it's crazy

mike: tomorrow, we're no longer high school kids, we're adults (putting his hand around Mer's waist)

Shan: what happened, it went way fast, one second we're in seventh grade the next seniors in high school, talking about where our lives are going

_So if we get the big jobs  
And we make the big money  
When we look back now  
Will our jokes still be funny?  
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?  
Still be trying to break every single rule  
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?  
Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?  
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye  
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly  
And this is how it feels_

mer: well, lets live today, as if it were our last and that we were not going to leave, because I only have about two weeks before (school) wants me there

Sarah: lets not think of that, lets go party

miss: come on!!

Mer stood back as she watched her friends leave, she couldn't wait to leave, but she couldn't help but feel, sad, she was going to leave and live her dream, prove all of these people wrong in twenty years when she was making the money, but her friends well would she see them again, she hoped she would

_Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?  
Can we survive it out there?  
Can we make it somehow?  
I guess I thought that this would never end  
and suddenly it's like we're women and men  
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?  
Will these memories fade when I leave this town  
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye  
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly_

mer smiled, they were women and men, not girls and boys anymore, they had to make the decisions, make their rent but oh well, that was the fun in it all...right?


	2. She Made It

Mer had made it threw school, it had been rough, she had, had many different boy problems but she had made it, no matter what anyone said, her mom, her friends, it didn't matter all of the "you are way to dedicated," "you do homework on weekends? Why? You need to get a life" and her traditional answer "I have a dream, I need to achieve it, no matter how I do it, I need to have this dream become a reality."

But no matter what she did, it was always the same thing; no one ever got it and would just laugh at her "why do you need to work so hard? Your mom is a famous surgeon, you'll have it easy" that statement always pissed her off, always but she had come up with a standard answer to that also, "yeah she is a famous surgeon, which means I have to work my ass off 10 times harder than anyone else here" they would all kind of laugh at that too, she had learned how to live with it, forget about it, all of this would soon be over and she would finally start her career, the career she always dreamed about...a surgeon

the day mer graduated from med school, was the day she finally felt as if she had accomplished something that no one thought she would, she was even more excited to start her internship at Seattle grace hospital, she had lived in Seattle until she was about six, and then her and her mom had moved, she was excited to go back.

All of this, and more was running threw Mer's mind as she was boarding a plane to Seattle 2 weeks after gradation from med school.

Mer: (thinking) _well, it's now or never, and I am nervous, but you know what? Who cares, I'm finally making my dreams a reality. What would missy say if she knew this now? Probably "wow didn't think you do it" that or "wow, your not married yet I thought that one for sure would have caved before and you would have at least 3 kids" obviously she doesn't know me to well_

mer boarded the plane and started a new life, a life no one thought she could do, and she went against the odds, and proved every single one of them wrong.


	3. First Meeting

Meredith got off the plane and stepped out of the airport to the city that had some of her childhood memories...Seattle. Now she was to start her new life there, as a surgeon.

Mer arrived at her old house to find that it had some furnishing, but everything was not up to date and reminded mer of her mom. Which at the moment considering what her mom thought of her becoming a surgeon was not a good thing. Mer decided that over the next couple of days she would clean and shop around for furniture.

Mer had gotten everything set up and had picked up some furniture within the two weeks that she had been in Seattle, and she started her job tomorrow at Seattle Grace Hospital, where she would be a surgical intern. Mer realized at about five that she had to get to the party that the hospital staff was holding in honor of the new residents that were joining the staff. So she got up got in the shower and got ready in a black dress with heals and her hair straight

Mer: well it's now or never, lets go make a good impression shall we?

She said to herself in the mirror, and she walked out the door.

She arrived at the mixer at about six thirty, she didn't really recognize anyone so she walked over to the food

Mer: (thinking) man I'm starving!

She looked up when she had gotten the food that she was looking for and she saw someone that looked all too familiar to her, Richard Webber.

Mer: (A/N: Italics and bold refers to characters thoughts!) **_what is he doing here? Oh no I think he might have seen me, I got to get out of here _**

and mer had barely been there for 30 minutes when she walked out the door to leave

mer: **_what was I thinking, I shouldn't have just walked out... now what? Well I guess I can just go get me something from the grocery store...like ice cream, yeah ice cream sounds good, off to target _**

mer drove to target and started to walk down to the ice cream section, she turned the corner not really realizing that she was walking at a brisk pace, turned a corner and ran smack into a tall figure and fell straight on her butt

man: I'm so sorry, are you ok?

He bent down on his knees to check her head

mer: oww, oh

looking up at the tall, dark, guy with the most gorgeous hair and blue eyes

mer: yeah I'm fine

the guy picked up Mer's petit body and put her back down on her feet

guy: are you sure, you took a pretty good fall

mer: well besides the fact that I am totally embarrassed, I just have a headache

guy: well... I feel really bad, so let me buy you a drink

mer: **_tequila is much than ice cream well_**...I guess that would be ok

guy: great, I'm Derek Shepherd by the way

mer: Meredith Grey crap, **_I just said Grey, please do not be in the medical field please _**

if Derek realized that she was a Grey he didn't give any indication that he knew

Der: nice to meet you Meredith

mer: well, do you want me to meet you at a bar, I have my car

Der: sure, I know a great little place, emerald city bar, right across the street from Seattle Grace Hospital, do you know where that is?

Mer: sure do

Der: great see you in a few, are you sure you're ok?

Mer: yeah, thank you Derek 

she smiled and waved and walked away

Der: **_I hope she shows up...she will I'm irresistible_**


	4. Finding Out About Each Other

Mer was driving to the bar

mer: **_what am I doing? I promised myself that I wouldn't get involved with anyone yet! But he is just so dang cute, the hair, the eyes, no stop it mer, well we will just see how this goes, but I am not going to drink a lot, I'm not because I start tomorrow, I will not have a hangover _**

mer pulled into the emerald city bar got out of her car and walked into the bar, and saw the guy that she had ran into earlier sitting on a stool, nursing a drink.

Mer: well hello again

Der: she showed, I knew she would well it looks like we do, just in a little bit better circumstances

mer laughed at that, she took a seat next to him

Der: you have a very cute laugh

mer smiled

Der: and smiled

mer kind of blushed: so what about this drink?

Der: Joe, get the lady what she wants

Joe: what can I get you miss?

Mer: um... a beer...

Joe: coming up

Der: so Meredith, how long have you been in Seattle?

Mer: two weeks

Der: really?

Mer: well I grew up here, than I moved to Boston, finished school in New Hampshire and now I'm back here. What about you? How long have you been here?

Der: I've been here about a month

mer: oh, where did you live before?

Der: New York City

mer: what made you leave the big apple?

Der: divorce

mer: oh, I'm sorry

Der: don't be, when you walk in on your best friend and your wife having sex, yeah divorce is the only thing on your mind

mer: wow, I'm really sorry, must be kind of hard

Der: yeah, but I'm doing alright, what about you?

Mer: I've had my fair share of boy problems

Der: like?

Mer: haven't known you long enough to tell you those details

Der: **_god, she is beautiful, wonder why she isn't married? Or at least seeing anyone guess_** I'll have to get to know you better than huh?

Mer: guess so, but I'm sorry Derek I really need to get going, I start my job tomorrow and its getting late, so, thanks for the drink

she stood up to leave

Der: wait...can I call you sometime?

Mer: well...

Der: please

mer: alright, but not tomorrow, I work all day, but after that I guess 

mer wrote down her number

Der: I will

mer: alright

Der: alight

he was standing now with her, they were looking into each others eyes, Derek really wanted to kiss her and take her home, mer knew if she did kiss him she would end up sleeping with him and end up being late, she couldn't not tonight

Derek was about to lean in for the kiss when

mer: well, goodnight Derek

Der: **_damn_** goodnight Meredith

mer walked out of the bar and headed home

Der watched her leave and thought

Der: **_this is going to be a little harder, well I have work tomorrow morning, better get going _**

he laid some money down on the counter

Der: night Joe, thanks

Joe: night doc

Derek walked out to his car and headed back to his place


End file.
